Frederick james biggs



(No Model.)

P. J. BIGGS.

REVERSIBLE LATCH. N0. 346,349. Patented July 27, 1886.

m' th 'rl Fl nl' ij 'rl Fil y S al B d' th 'ri FH INVENTOR: W|TNES SES-@L gw Y By his Attorneys,

NITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

FREDERICK JAMES BIGGS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

REVERSIBLE LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,349, dated July 27,1886.

Application filed April 6, 1886. Serial No. 107,975.

To all whom, it mld/y coll/ecrit:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK JAMEs BIGGS, of London, England, merchant,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible Latchcs,of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to reversible latches in which the latchproper is capable of being reversed byaswiveling or turning move-1nent,so as to adapt it, as required, either to a right-hand orleft-hand door. With these reversible latches some contrivance isnecessary to keep the latch from turning when once properly adjusted,and for this purpose a latch d has been made with the faceplate hingedto the case, so that it may be turned out far enough to clear the latchto permit the latch to be turned, and when turned back against the caseits latch-aperture engages the latch and prevents the turning thereof.This construction necessitates that the latch shall be turned in theproper direction before the case is fastened to the door, since it isfastened thereto by means of the face-plate, the turning out of whichwould necessitate that it be unscrewed and that the case be partlydisplaced; hence the latch cannot be turned while the case is fastenedin its final position.

My invention provides a latch the case of which is securedto the doorindependently of the face-plate, preferably by a fore-plate connected tothe ease, while the face-plate, the function of which is to prevent theturning of the latch, is removable from the fore-plate and ease, and isattached thereto after the case has been finally secured to the door;hence the latch is adjustable to either right or left after its case hasbeen permanently fastened to the door.

I will describe my invention as applied to a mortise-lock, for whichitis more particularly intended.

Figurel is a side elevation ofthe lock with the front half of the caseremoved, and with the fore-plate and the face-plate in section. Fig. 2is a front elevation of the lock with the face-plate removed, and Fig. 3a front elevation of the face-plate.

The lock shown is a tubular lock; but the invention is equallyapplicable to mortiselocks of other form.

(No model.)

a is the lock case or frame; b, the fore-plate, which is east with orpermanently fixed to onehalf of the case a.

c is the face-plate, and d the latch, one side u of its front portionbeing beveled or inclined in the ordinary manner.

The latch d is free to be turned on its axis, being swiveled to theboltg by means ofa pin formed on it, which passes through the ear c 011the bolt, and through a washer, f, being riveted down thereon. Thefore-plate b has an aperture, h, 'for the latch, which is large enoughto enable the latch d to be turned on its axis therein. Vhen thefaceplate c is removed,thc latch can be turned so as to adapt it toeither a right-hand or a left-hand door. The face-plate has alatchaperture, fi, Fig. 3, which is not large enough to permit the latchto be turned therein. This aperture i is pref` erably rectangular,fitting the cross-section of the latch; but this is not essential, asany shape that will engage the latch d and prevent its turning willserve. With this arrangement, when the lock has been fitted to the doorand the fore-plate I) has been screwed thereto in the usual way, theposition of thelatch can be reversed, if necessary, before screwing onthe face-plate c, while after the faceplate has been screwed in placethe latch cannot bc turned.

The stop k,which limits the inward travel of the bolt g with the latchcl, should be so placed as to prevent the latch in its inward travelpassing quite beyond the faceplate c, as if it did so it would be liableto move slightly on its axis, and would not be able to return. The lockmechanism may be of any ordinary character.

In the case of locks having` a latch whose height or thickness from topto bottoni is greater than the width of the lock, a hole in thefore-plate b for the latch to turn in could not be made large enough.rIlhis difficulty can be overcome by adjusting the play of thelockingplate, so that when thrown forward by means of a key orotherwisethe latch proper, d, is entirel y beyond the fore-plate b, andcan therefore be turned when the faceplate c is not in place. In thiscase it is desirable, but not essential, that the disk or piece c shouldoccupy the aperture 7L in the fore-plate when the locking-plate isthrown forward.

IOO

Although specially intended for mortiselocks, my :invention can also beapplied to other locks-such as rim-locks, for example. In this ease aremovable face-plate would be attached to the ordinary fore or front endplate of the lock-case, and would have an aperture not large enough toallow the latch to tu-rn therein,While the fore or front end plate wouldhave a latchapel'ture large enough to permit the latch to turn; or, asabove described, the play of the locking-plate would be so adjusted thatwhen thrown forward the latch proper would be entirely beyond the foreor front end plate, and could therefore be turned until the faceplateWas put in place; or the ordinary fore or front end plate may itself bethe removable plate, andv when removed allowing the latch to be turned,the aperture in the plate being too small to allow of the latch turningwhen said plate is in place.

What I claim, and desi re to secure by LetA ters Patent, is

turning, and means independent of said faceplate` for securing the easeto a door, substantially as set forth.

2. A reversiblelatch consisting oi' the combination of a case,afore-plate connected thereto, a swiveled latch capable of turning insaid case to right or left, and a faceplate which, when applied to saidcase, engages the latch and prevents its turning, substantially as setforth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

' FREDERICK JAMES BIGGS.

Vitnesscs:

GEORGE ADAMS, Grenen C. BACON.

